President Donald Trump on Monday criticized U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro after she dropped charges against a former U.S. Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.
"Jeanine Pirro made a mistake," he said. "It was vandalism."
The Justice Department late Friday moved to dismiss a felony indictment against David Hearn, who had faced up to 10 years in prison on allegations he vandalized the reflecting pool.
In court filings, Pirro wrote that the damage to the pool resulted from a "flawed installation" by the contractor and a rush to complete the project before events associated with the America 250 celebration.
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Pirro went on to say her office had only recently become aware of evidence showing the damage was caused by a "botched installation and not vandalism."
Senior Justice Department officials sought to shift blame for the wrongful indictment to the Department of the Interior, suggesting officials there withheld evidence.
Trump rejected that explanation from Pirro's office, saying he was not necessarily blaming the contractor but insisting the damage was the result of vandalism.
"Frankly, I think she choked," Trump said of Pirro.
In addition to Hearn, the Justice Department dismissed misdemeanor charges against three other people accused of vandalizing the pool, court records show.
